Snap hook



Jari.' 2l, 1930. H. soULa 1,744,419

SNAP HOOK Filed May 15l 1929 A Erp-.4L

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, ./TTJiNEK Patented Jan. 21, 1930 PATENT OFFICE HENRY SOULE, OF DWIGHT, NORTH DAKOTA SNAP HOOK

Application filed May 15, 1929. Serial No. 363,348.

My invention relates to a snap hook for rope ends or so called rope traces and is particularly adaptable for tethering cattle, horses, etc. in stalls or in the field, and further useful for weight ropes for horses. It is useful for other purposes also and in which a rope end is to be attached to another object, the main object being to provide a handy rope end holding device having a number of uses as on a farm. The construction and usefulness of the device are hereinafter fully set forth reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in whichf- Fig. 1 is a top view of my improved rope end holder and snap hook, in a preferred form, and shown clamped on a piece of rope.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 showing the hook member slightly in perspective.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hook member, modified.

Fig/i is a front end elevation ofthetwo part rope holding shell only, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of said shell about as on line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 6 designates a rope such for example as used in tethering horses, cattle, etc., in stalls or a field. 7-7A are two elongated metal shell pieces of approximately semicylindrical form, said shells being counterparts except that one of them as 7 has a number of apertures around which the metal is countersunk as 8 to allow a countersunk screw head to be retained therein, as the head 9H of screwl 9 (see Fig. 5 particularly). The other shell section, as 7A, has a slightly fiattcned area 10 diametrically opposite each countersink 8 in which is a threaded aperture 11 to be engaged by the threads of screw 8. 12 is a pair of diametrically opposite apertures near the front end of the corresponding shell pieces and to be engaged by a new type of wire snap hook presently to be described. V 13 are a number of arcuate inwardly pressed ribs in the wall of the shell sections 7-7A preferably presenting each .an inwardly directed transverse edge, said ribs preferably spaced in diametrically opposite positions in pairs and ada ted to squeeze into the rope, to securely hold it, when the screws 9 are drawn up tight to clamp the shell sections toward each other, it being understood of course that the screws are forced diametrically through the rope until their n threads engage in the apertures 11. Obviously if the shell construction described and the screws 9 are of good proportions the clamped shell pieces will be comparatively smooth exteriorly except for the indentations 13. The shells may of course be made of suitably thick sheet metal, each section being easily formed or pressed into shape with suitable dies.

My device comprises further in combination with the rope member an improved snap hook pivotally connected at 12 to the rope engaging shell and will now be described.

The snap hook is preferably a single wire member journaled in the front apertures 12 of the two rope holding shells, where the wire passes through thence extended forwardly forming a loop 14A, at the front part of which the wire is interwoven or twisted as at 111B, extended forward as a double shank, looped as 14C and brought back in 75 an upwardly directed, inverted U-shaped terminal. One end of the wire starts as at 14E in the loop 14A, thence extending forward to comprise one of the arms of double shank 14C, the other arm constituting the returned 80 wire running through the weave 14B rearwardly and forming the loop 14A.

On the return part of the wire from loop 14A it is woven or twisted in the part 14B, emerging at one side thence curved over the rear part of the double shank, as at MF, Figs. 1 and 2 and formed in a vertical coil MG from which the other wire end extends straight toward the closed end of loop 14C as a tongue 14T and is normally pressed up 90 into engagement with the loop terminal 14D. The end of said tongue 14T lies normally in about a common plane with and between the two parallel parts of loop 14C leaving the hook member unobstructed interiorly. The tongue is readily pressed inwardly when a bit, ring, or other device to be hooked, represented by a circle 15 in Fig. 2, is pressed down on mand can subsequently slipped peet the exil ef the tenga@ which baalt we into place and the article 15 is held within the hook.

In the modification Fig. 3 the hook 14 is also of one piece of wire but its rear end formed as a double wire eye MJ in vertical plane and to engage an open wire ring 16 to removably engage in the V'apertures 12, pivotally, with its alined Vends 16E. The smgle piece snap hook shown in Figs. yland 2 is the desired type, the gage of wire being optional but necessarily quite heavy for best results. In this preferred form the three melnbers are always connected, but the type with intermediate hook member 16 has advantages in assembling of the device.

he construction and use of my device are now fully disclosed. A number of deviations in detail of construction and choice of materials, etc., may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a rope holding device and snap-hook for the purposes described, said rope holder comprising a two-part elongated cylindrical shelladapted to receive and secure a rope end. both shell parts provided neartheir ends with bearing apertures registering diametrically and located near the rope entl, a wire snap'hook member pivotally enga'ging in said shell apertures and normally extending from said shell end and a spring actuated tongue normally closing the opening of said hook.

2. The structure specified in claim 1 in which said wire snap hook comprises a single piece of `wire formed in aU-shape at the terminius of the hook extending thence to form a double wire hook and shank of said hook, the two bights of said wire twisted about each other at the rear part of the shank and one end of the wire terminating therein, the other part of the wire formed in a loop to pivotal engage said shell apertures and returned7 to the rear part of the shank, said latter wire part further comprising at the latter location a coil and the extremity of the -Wire extending tangentially from said coil and normally engaging in the said U-s'ha ed end of the snap hook.

`3. he structure specified in claim 1, in which said snap hook comprises a single wire construction embodyin an open hook with an upwardly directet inverted U-shaped terminus at the upper part of the hook opening, the Wire extending from said U-shape as double parallel members forming the curved hook and its shank, one end of the wire formed as an eye, the other wire part formed also as an eye aside of the first eye andparallel thereto and the latter wire extended thencetoward the hook opening and formed with a coil vmember and extended straight from said coil to provide a tongue ressed upwardly by said coil to close the ook opening, and a ring member journaled der, both said cylinders provided with diametrically registeringapertures, a screw, the

metal of one ot each said pair of apertures countersunk to receive the screw head and the corresponding aperture threaded for engagement by the threaded part of the screw, and the metal of the shell depressed tangentially about the threaded aperture.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY SOULE. 

